Lock



Jan. 17, 1950 u W B GQUGHNQUR 2,494,754

LOCK

Filed April 29, 1946 ArroRA/fys `door that may be hinged Patented Jan. 17, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE LOCK Walter B. Goughnour, Seattle, Wash. Application April 29, 1946, Serial No. 665,841

2 Claims.

tightly in closed position until the lock releasing4 mechanisms are manually actuated for this purpose.

It is the principal object this invention to provide a door lock of the above stated kind whereby a door may be held securely and tightly closed against any possibility of being released by direct pressure applied against the door, and which automatically compensates for any looseness that may result from wear in the latching elements, and thus eliminates rattling, looseness and all feeling of insecurity of the lock.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a door lock wherein the lockngelements are characterized by an over-running clutch gear in combination with a gear toothed bolt, that are engaged by the closing of the door, and which can only be disengaged for opening the` door, by retraction of the bolt. y

Another object of the invention' is to provide a lock with a novel safety latch mechanism that operates in conjunction with"the'n'iamial" release member.

Still further` objects of the invention reside in the details of constructionof` the various parts of the lock, in their combination and mode of operation, as will hereinafterbe fully described.

In accomplishing these and "other "objects of the invention, I have provided the improved details of construction, the preferred forms of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, Wherein- Fig. 1 is a View, in side elevation, of a portion of an automobile, showing a door that is equipped with a lock embodying the features of the present invention therein. f i

Fig. 2 is an enlarged, horizontal section ofthe lock, taken on line 2-2 in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a section of the lock as seen on line 3--3 in Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a sectional detail `of one of the clutch rollers and associated parts.

Referring more in detail to the drawings In Fig. 1, I Il designates what may be a sidewall portion of an automobile and II designates a to the wall in such manner as to swing to and from a closed position. As observed in Fig. 2, the side wall IIlihas a substantial horizontal thickness, as defined byits inner and outer wall members l2 and IIL-and the door I I is of like thickness asdeiined by its inner and outer Wall members I4 and I4'.

The door, as here shown, is limited in its extent of closing, by an edge flange I5 thereon, adapted to engage against an inset shoulder Mr that is formed along the opposing edge of the doorway, as observed in Fig. 2. A cushioning strip C is applied to the inside of the flange I5x and, at the opposite side of the doorway, the door isadapted to close in contact with a flexible joint sealing strip S of a suitable kind.

It is desired to here explain thatthe present lock is well adapted to various uses other than with doors of automobiles, for example, it is suitable for use on refrigerators, cupboards, and like articles and well adapted also for use with airplane doors, and, in fact, all doors that are hinged at one edge to swing into a doorway against a closing stop. 4

As observed best in Fig. 2, the present lock comprises a rigid and substantial housing I5 that is xed in the wall ID, or door frame, between its inner and outer members and flush with the door- Way, or opening in the wall towhich the door is applied. As seenin Fig. 3, the lock housing I5 has a vertical edge flange I 6 through which screw bolts or the like, as at I'I, are extended through the wall members I8, as Vin Fig. 3, to secure the housing in place. Also, the housing I5 is here shown as being made in disconnectable upper and lower parts, to facilitate the assembly therewith of the contained lock elements. These parts are held together by screw bolts, as at I9.

Formed in the housing I5 is a gear wheel chamber` 2U in which a gear toothed wheel 2| is revolubly contained. This gear is mounted to revolve on a vertically disposed hub 22 that is `rigidly fixed in the housing by being solidly secured to the top wall member by a screw 23 as observed in Fig. 3; the hub being fitted .in a socket that is bored in the gear wheel coaxial thereof. This gear` wheel housing `is open at one side and a toothed portion of the gear wheel, spanning an arc of about extends from this opening into the doorway, as observed in Fig. 3.

In the arrangement of parts shown, the hub member serves as the `stationary member of an over-running clutch of which the gear wheel is the rotary member. l

As noted best in Fig. V2, the hub member of the gear is formed longitudinally with` :four equally spaced, outwardly opening` recesses: 25, in which clutch rollers 2E are contained. The base surfaces of the several recesses are similarly inclined toward the inner surface of the gear and the rollers 26 are adapted to operate in the recesses and against said .surfaces as clutch rollers to effect an interlock of hub and wheel whenever there is any tendency of the gear wheel to turn in a reverse direction; that is, in a direction that would permit the locked door to move from closed toward an open position. The several rollers are pressed yieldingly into their wedging or clutching positions bythe pressure of small coiled springs 30 that are mounted in the hub; each to bear against a plate 3! pivoted in the hub and, in turn, bearing against the corresponding roller.

The gear wheel in this lock mechanism serves as a keeper member with which the locking bolt engages to hold the door in its closed position.

Mounted on the door, directly opposite the gear housing I5, is a housing 35. This is open at the end which faces the gear wheel. slidably fitted in this housing is a locking bolt 38 which is yielding-ly urged outwardly; that is, toward latching position, by a coiled spring 59 which is located within the bolt and bears at its ends against the inner end wall of the housing and against the base of a socket provided in the bolt. AnY anchor bolt 40 extends through a hole 42 that is bored axially through the lockingv bolt 35 and is threaded at its one end into the inner end wall ofthe housing 35. At its other end, the bolt has a head 43 contained in a counterbore in the bolli,v and is designed to engage a shoulder 44 at the base ofthe counterbore to limit the extent to. which the bolt may be extended by the spring.

OnV its outer end, the locking bolt 38 has a plurality of gear teeth 45 adapted to intermesh with, the teeth of the clutch gear wheel when the door is closed, thus to lock the door` in its closed position.

It is of significance to point out that the gear teeth 45 on the locking bolt are so formed as to correspond to an arcuate gear segment having the` hinge axis of the door as the center. Thus, inthe closing action of the door, these teeth can be made to properly mesh with the teeth of the gear without looseness or binding. If looseness should occur, then the bolt 45 may be adjusted to permit the bolt to extend farther and slack to be taken up.

For the manual withdrawal of the bolt to release the door, I have provided a lock handle member which comprises a cross shaftv 50 that extends transversely through the door directly below the bolt housing 35 and which at its outer end has a hand lever- 5I fixed thereon. Within the door, a lever 53 is fixed to the cross shaft, and the end of this lever is operable through a longitudinal slot 54 in the bottom wall of the housing and may be engaged against a shoulder 55 on the locking bolt 38 to retract it against the pressure of spring 39. A coiled spring 6l] is attached to the housing 35 and to an arm 5i extended from the lever 53 to normally retain the swinging end of lever 53 in a position away from the shoulder 55, as in Fig. 3, to permit the locking bolt to be fully extended, as permitted by bolt 49.

While I have shown the present locking bolt 38 as being operated from its extended to its retracted position by the hand lever 5i through the mediacy of shaft 50 and lever 53, it is to be understood that other means for this purpose might be employed; for example, a push button type of lock release mechanism that could effect an application of retractive force against the shoulder 5 It is understood also that a handle might be applied to the shaft 50 at the inside of the door, the same as at the outside, if such should be required or desired.

To insure against any possibility of the locking bolt being forced to a releasing position by outward pressure against the door, a safety latch pin 'I0 is slidably mounted in a vertical bore 1| through the bottom wall of the housing 35, in such position that the upper end of the pin will act as a stop that will prevent any retractive movement of the latch bolt except as produced by the hand lever. At its lower end, the pin 1B has a pin and slot connection, as at 83, with lever arm 6I,l so tlflJS, with the turning of the handle, this pin will be withdrawn from its bolt stopping position, and permit the bolt 38 to be retracted by the turning of the hand lever 5|.

Any other suitable type of over-running clutch mechanism other than that shown might be employed with satisfactory results; for example, a simple pawlV and ratchet device. However, the present type is desired because of its taking irnmediate effect asv soon as the door stops moving in its closing direction.

With the parts so constructed and assembled, the operation of the lock is as follows:

Starting with the door at any. open position, when it is swung to closed position, as in Fig. 2, the teeth 4.5 of the locking bolt 38 willA swing into mesh with teethY of gear wheel 2| and the wheel will rotate with the inward Swinging movement of the door until the door comes toits closing limit. Under this turning action of the gear wheel, the clutch rollers roll freely. However, as soon as the turning action of the wheel stops, the clutch rollers take eiect toprevent any back turning ofV the. gear wheelI and thus the door will be retained tightly inits closed position.

To open the door, itis required that the locking bolt be retracted to disengage its teeth from the gear 21|. To accomplish this, the handle lever 5I is turned, as indicated by the arrow thereon in Fig. 1, thus to turn the. shaft 53. and withdraw the locking pin l0- from holding position and cause thev lever arrn-53 to engage theshoulder 55 of the bolt 38, thus to retract the locking bolt against the holding force of; spring 39 Then the door may be swung to open position.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new therein and desire to secure by Letters Patent is: f

1. A door locking mechanism comprising a bolt guide housing adapted for mounting in the swinging edge of a hinged, door. a bolt slidably mounted in said housing and having a plurality of gear teeth on one end thereof adapted for intermeshing with ag keeper member in the form of a oneway clutch gearwheel, spring` means acting against the bolt and normally retaining the toothed end thereof extended from the housing. and manually operated means for retracting the bolt from the gear for opening the'door; said gear teeth of the bolt being formed on a' pitch circle that centers in the hinge axis of the door mounting the bolt, and an adjustable. stop for determining the extended position of the bolt.

2. In a door locking mechanism of' the character described, a guide. housing for a, looking bolt adapted to be mounted in a hinged door, a looking bolt mounted in the housing and movable endwise between extended and retracted positions and having a plurality of gear teeth at its outer end adapted for engaging a keeper member in the form of a rotatably mounted one-way clutch gear, a spring in the housing acting against the bolt to urge it to its extended position, a lock operating means comprising a shaft rotatably mounted in the housing, a handle for rotating the shaft and a lever fixed on the shaft and adapted upon its rotation to engage with the bolt to move it'jto a retracted position, said bolt having a hole lengthwise therethrough, and an adjusting `bolt extended through said hole and adjustably threaded into the housing and having a head engaged with the bolt to limit its extension under the pressure of said spring,

WALTER B, GOUGHNOUR.

6 REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the ie of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

